Stranded
by Charmeleon
Summary: Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh. This is an AU. Full explanation and summary in first chapter.
1. The Mysterious Meeting

This story will be almost 100% Yugi and Yami centric. If you want to read a story with only Yugi and Yami and just small highlights on other characters, then this is the story for you. Yugi lives on an island with his grandfather and Yami is a merman prince forced into exile for teh safety of his people.  
' is thoughts  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 1: The Mysterious Meeting  
  
It was a peaceful day on one of the Philippine Islands. The sun was out and the sea was calm. Yugi lived in a house with his grandfather Solomon Moto. Solomon owned a fishing warehouse. Yugi was 14-years old, but his size made him look only 7. He also had childish purple eyes. He also had black, gold and red hair and pale skin. He loved the sea, even though he didn't know how to swim. He would go fishing with his grandfather from time to time. He was pretty good at it. His grandfather taught him, and he ended up catching more fish than his grandfather every time they went fishing.  
Things were great on the island for them. They were even safe from the weather. Their house was away from the pier and on high ground so it wouldn't be damaged by a flood. In case of a hurricane or any form of bad weather, their house was built out of sturdy concrete.  
One day, Yugi and his grandfather went for a relaxing boat ride aboard one of the fishing boats. The weather started off quiet enough. Yugi and his grandfather were above deck.  
"This is a nice day," Yugi said.  
"Yes it is," Solomon agreed.  
A few hours later, the boat hit unexpected turbulence.  
Another fisherman said, "We're steering right into a Category 3 hurricane.  
Before anyone could react, the waves got very rough. The boat rocked back and forth, as if threatening to throw the crew overboard. Then it happened. Yugi was thrown overboard when a monster wave crashed into the ship.  
"Yugi!" Solomon shouted.  
The waves were too rough to attempt a rescue. Yugi got pushed farther and farther away from the boat. Soon, he was no longer in sight. The only good thing about all of this is that he didn't have to swim as the rough waves just pushed him further out to sea.  
He was at the mercy of the rough sea all day. That night, he was thrown roughly on a rock. He looked up and saw an island. He attempted to get up, but that hard landing made him sit back down. He felt himself and found out that his pelvis was broken. He didn't give up though. He painfully crawled until he found a nearby cave. He crawled inside and fell asleep next to a river.  
An hour later, something surfaced from the river. It saw Yugi by the river and swam over for a closer look. The cave was lit perfectly, even at night. It gasped when it saw him. He looked almost just like it. It came out of the water and watched him through the night.  
The next morning, Yugi awakened to a better day. He heard the birds singing outside. He sat up in extreme pain. The thing watched him moving around in pain. For some reason, it felt the need to protect him and be there to comfort him.  
It followed him slowly and very quietly. Slowly and painfully but surely, Yugi made it out of the cave. He was at the edge of a large cliff. The pain in his side was overwhelming. It was so overwhelming, that he fell over the edge and into the water below. The pain and the fact that he couldn't swim were a double whammy as he sank deeper into the deep water.   
The thing that secretly followed him dove into the water. It swam quickly and gently wrapped a strong arm around him. It swam to the surface and brought him onshore. It turned him over on his side and saw the dented skin. It gently put its hand on his side and let its magic flow through.  
A few seconds later, it dove back into the water. Yugi woke up to find himself on land. He slowly sat up to find that he was no longer in pain. He felt his side to see that it was mysteriously healed.  
'How did I get here? The last thing I remember is falling into the water. And how did my side get healed?' he thought. He walked back to the cave. He was surprised to find fruit on a blanket inside. 'Someone other than me must be here,' he thought.  
He ate the fruit. He thought it was quite good. What he didn't know was that the thing climbed some fruit trees near the cave. It was watching him from the shadows. It was almost ready to reveal itself to him. Half an hour later, Yugi went for a walk around the island. The thing secretly followed him. Yugi walked unaware that he was being followed by the thing that saved him, healed him and provided food for him. An hour later, a big grizzly bear confronted him. He stood still, but the bear got into attack position and charged for him.   
Before the bear could run Yugi over, and arm wrapped itself around him and pulled him into the bushes. A few moments later, Yugi found himself holding his breath underwater. The bear went back the way it came, and the thing surfaced with Yugi. Yugi was put onshore as the thing came up after him.  
The first thing he saw was a black and white tail; like you would see on an Orca. He looked up further to see that the creature looked virtually just like him. Besides the tail, the only differences were that it had gold streaks in it's tri-colored hair, was about a foot taller than him although it was sitting down with him, and its purple eyes looked more mature. It also had tanned skin.   
"Who and what are you?" Yugi asked.  
"My name is Yami, and I am a merman prince," the creature responded in a deeper voice.  
Yugi looked at the bottom half of Yami's body to find the tail gone. In the place of his tail was a pair of black and white jeans. He looked back up to see that Yami now had a white T-shirt on.  
"Oh, and I can also become human," Yami added.  
"If you're a merman prince, why are you here?" Yugi asked.  
"I was forced to leave my kingdom for the safety of my people," Yami responded.  
"Care to tell me what happened?" Yugi asked.  
  
  
  
  
I'll end it here. Well, should I go on, or should I stop? Preview for Chapter 2: Getting to know You: Yugi and Yami tell each other about themselves. Yugi tells Yami how he got on the island, and Yami tells Yugi about saving him when he fell into the lake, healing him, and providing food for him. Yami even takes Yugi on a tour of the island and for a swim.  
P.S. I dedicate this fanfic to crazykiwi. Reading your story was a part in giving me this idea and I thank you for helping me out here. I hope that this doesn't ruin you're story. I will do my best to make sure that we don't write the same thing.  
Ta Ta for now,  
Charmeleon  



	2. Getting to know You

Recap: Yugi was a happy child. He was safe from crime and the weather. As he was on a fishing boat for a calm ride, the weather suddenly turned violent, and he was thrown overboard. He ended up on what appeared to be a deserted island. A day later, he met Yami, a merman who could become human, who saved him from a grizzly bear. Yugi didn't know that Yami was the one who helped him out those other times as well.  
' is thoughts  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 2: Getting to know You  
  
"If you're a merman prince, why are you here?" Yugi asked.  
"I was forced to leave my kingdom for the safety of my people," Yami responded.  
"Care to tell me what happened?" Yugi asked.  
"No I don't mind," Yami responded. "My kingdom was once a peaceful and happy place. My father was a benevolent ruler. He ruled with patience, justice, wisdom, understanding and respect. He treated everyone with love and respect, and they loved him in return.  
Then he married and had two sons about 4 years apart. I was the second son. My older brother was conceited and hard to be around. He wouldn't even hang around me. He would always pick on me because of my tri-colored hair. He always called me a freak.  
Anyway, my parents favored me more than him. He was jealous because of me because of that. I knew that he was jealous because the people liked me more, and my parents knew that I was better mannered than him. But he would still be the next ruler because he was the first born.  
When I was 12, my farther died from a mysterious disease. My brother was old enough to rule since he was 16. Things went downhill ever since then. My brother became ruthless and power hungry and had all who openly opposed his leadership executed. Some of the members of council escaped and taught me how to be a mage.  
I trained hard for two years and became the most powerful mage in the kingdom. One day when I was swimming on the surface of the water, I came across a large fishing boat. I swam over and hid behind it as I looked around it. I saw a family of four. The parents and grandfather were on the shore.  
I noticed that they were worried about something. Then I heard a sound coming from the boat. I looked up to see a small child on the boat. He was playing too close to the edge and fell out. His parents and grandfather heard the splash but didn't see him. I knew that they were worried about the child. I dove into the water and soon saw the child. I swam after him, grabbed him and surfaced with him. I swam to shore, but out of his parents' sight. I waited for my tail to become legs. One of the things the mages granted me was the ability to be able to live on land and in water.  
I then walked over to the parents with the mall boy in my arms. The boy was unconscious but all right. They thanked me for saving him and offered me to spend the night. I politely declined and walked away. When I was out of their sight, I jumped back into the water. As I swam to my kingdom, my counselors met up with me. They were happy that I saved the child's life, but were worried because my brother hated the human race with a vengeance.  
What we didn't know was that my brother secretly followed me. He saw everything like my counselors did. He hated me with a vengeance now. When I came back to the kingdom, he called me an outsider for saving a human and being able to become one.  
He told me to leave the kingdom and never return, or else he would force the kingdom into slavery. To make things worse, he threatened to kill the people who openly opposed his rule to put me on the throne if I remained in the kingdom. I promised that I wouldn't return and I was exiled. I swam until I came here. I have been here for 6 years now," he added.  
"Wow, that's quite a story," Yugi said. "What is the name of your kingdom?" he added.  
"New Atlantis," Yami responded.  
One part of Yami's story bothered Yugi. Yami noticed this.  
"What's wrong?" Yami asked.  
"What was the child's name?" Yugi asked.  
"I believe that the parents and grandfather told me that his name was Yugi," Yami responded.  
Realization hit Yugi like a train. His parents and grandfather never told him what happened on that day. Now he knew that he was the one that fell off the boat that day.  
"The child you saved that day was me," Yugi said.  
"So you're Yugi. I thought you looked familiar," Yami said.  
"Yes," Yugi said.  
Yami noticed the guilt in Yugi's voice. "Don't be sad Yugi. This was not your fault. It was my corrupted and ruthless brother who banished me, not you," Yami said. "Tell me about yourself. How did you end up here?" he added.  
"Well, my parents died a month after I turned 10, and I lived with my grandfather for four years so far. He owns a fishing warehouse on one of the Philippine Islands. He lives in a house away from the pier and on high ground, to be safe in case of a flood. The house is built from strong concrete to be safe from the weather. One day when I went for a boat ride with him on one of his fishing boats, we got caught in a hurricane. I got thrown overboard by a big wave crashing into the boat. I was swept by the waves until I was thrown here," Yugi said.  
"How did you get into the cave?" Yami asked.  
"I crawled into it. When I tried to stand up and walk, I felt extreme pain. I sat back down and felt myself. I found my side dented at my hips and found out my pelvis was broken," Yugi responded. "The next day, I wanted to explore, but the pain was intense. I stopped at a large cliff. I couldn't take the pain and fell over the edge and into the water. When I woke up, I found myself on dry land and my side completely healed. I wondered about that.  
When I got back to the cave, I was amazed to find fruit inside. I was hungry so I ate it. A little while later, I went exploring. When I came across that bear, I was frightened. I then felt something pull me into the bushes and duck underwater until the bear went away. I then saw that the something was you," he added.  
"Yes, it was I. I was the one who provided food for you. I was also the one who brought you out of the water and healed you," Yami said.  
"Thank you for saving me again," Yugi said.  
"Anytime Yugi," Yami said. "No offense, but you look 7, not 14," he added.  
"None taken," Yugi said, "I was always small for my age."  
Time seemed to fly for them because the sky turned orange, indicating sunset. They headed back to the cave. They got there an hour later. Yami climbed a nearby fruit tree and picked some fruit for both of them. He put it in the blanket that he left in the cave earlier. He cast a spell on it to make it float to him. They went inside and ate the fruit. Half an hour later, Yami took a dip in the river.   
"Come on in, the water's fine," Yami said.  
"I can't swim," Yugi said sadly.  
"Don't worry. I'll hold you up. You probably need to bathe," Yami said as a bar of soap appeared in his hand.  
Yugi nodded and got undressed. Yami swam closer with his arms stretched out. Yugi jumped into Yami's arms. Yami held Yugi up and helped him bathe. They finished half an hour later. Yami helped Yugi get to shore and dried him off with some heat energy. Yami also changed him into a pair of pajamas with starfish on them.  
Yugi fell asleep after that. Yami came onshore afnd slept with him. Yugi was content this night. He finally met his savior from 6 years ago. Also, he felt safe with Yami. On the other hand, Yami was glad to see Yugi again. He missed Yugi an awful lot. They both slept peacefully tonight. The next morning, Yugi woke up to find that he was in Yami's arms. He slowly turned around to see Yami still asleep. Yami looked peaceful when he slept. Yugi gently wriggled out of Yami's arms. Yami woke up by that small movement.  
"Good morning Yugi. Did you sleep well?" Yami said.  
"Yes I did," Yugi responded.  
Yami changed Yugi into a white T-shirt and black and white jeans like he was wearing. There was some fruit left from last night; Yami had picked enough for both of them for the night and this morning. They ated the fruit and went walking.  
"Do you want me to show you around?" Yami asked.  
"Sure," Yugi responded.  
"Stay close to me at all times, or you could get lost," Yami said.  
Yugi nodded, and Yami started showing him around the island. Yugi saw the extinct volcanoes, banana-shaped trees and other amazing things. They came to a part of the island that required a person to be at least five feet to climb over. Yami scooped up Yugi and made climbed over the large rocks and steps. They were out half an hour later. Yami put Yugi down. Yugi was amazed by what he saw. There was a huge pyramid.  
"I see you're amazed," Yami said.  
"Yeah," Yugi said.  
Yami turned around for a few moments. He loved this area of the island. Unknown to him, Yugi went off into the pyramid. When Yami turned back around, Yugi was gone.  
"Yugi?" Yami asked. He ran into the pyramid to look for Yugi as the door closed behind him. He stopped upon hearing that but soon ran again.  
Yugi was walking and looking around. He didn't watch where he was going and tripped a wire. A spear came speeding for him. He ducked just in time. Another one came at him. He also ducked that one. Then he ran as more spears fired at him. A few moments later, the spears didn't come at him. He thought it was over. There was one more spear, but it was behind him. He was unaware of the spear coming at him from behind. He happened to turn around. He saw the spear, but it was too late to duck. A few seconds before contact, two hands caught the wooden part of the spear and broke the spear in half. The two halves were dropped to the ground. Yugi looked up and saw Yami looking down at him.  
"Are you all right?" Yami asked.  
"Yes, thank you," Yugi responded.  
"Well the only way out now is to go through this pyramid," Yami said.  
"Can't we go back the way we came?" Yugi asked.  
"I'm afraid not. The door apparently closes after two people go in," Yami responded.  
Yugi nodded, and he and Yami started through the pyramid. This time, Yugi didn't stray from Yami's side. Yami kept his eyes moving. He kept a sharp lookout for traps. They soon came to a split path. There was a riddle printed on the divider.  
The riddle read, "One path will get you out safely, the other is very dangerous, but also leads out. The clue to which of these two paths is the safe path is: Out is the wrong path, the other is the safe one (A/N: Can you figure this out before I reveal the answer?)."  
Yugi was very confused by the riddle. Yami was too. They just stood there for an hour.  
"Hmm, out is the wrong path. I wonder what that could mean," Yugi said. He then started to go down the path on the right.  
Yami looked at the arrows that pointed down the paths. They showed the words one and two.  
'Out is the wrong path. One spelled backwards is e-n-o and...that's it!' he thought. He saw Yugi about to go down the path with the word two on the arrow. "Yugi stop!" he shouted.  
Yugi stopped. He turned around and asked, "What is it Yami?"   
"You're about to go down the wrong path," Yami responded.  
"What?" Yugi asked, still confused.  
"Think about it Yugi. Out is the wrong path. Look at the words on the arrows, one and two. Look at the arrow on the right very carefully," Yami responded.  
Yugi looked at the word two for half an hour, but he still couldn't make the connection. Yami noticed that Yugi was still confused.  
"Look at two backwards. What do you get when you spell two backwards?" Yami said.  
"Two spelled backwards is o-w-t," Yugi said as he made the connection. "Now I get it. Two spelled backwards sounds like out. The w is what threw me off."  
"Yes, and the left path is the safe path. Let's go down that one," Yami said.  
Yugi and Yami went down the left path and were safely out in an hour. Then a spirit appeared.  
"I am the spirit of the pyramid. I want to congratulate you Yami. No one had ever solved my riddle before you did," the spirit said as it vanished.  
Yugi and Yami saw that they were back outside the pyramid. Yami picked Yugi up and made his way back over the steps and large rocks. Half an hour later, they were out, and Yami set Yugi down. They walked back to the cave and made it back in an hour.  
"Yugi, do you want to go for a swim? I'll do the swimming," Yami said.  
"Sure Yami," Yugi said.  
Yami led Yugi to a separate river. They got there half an hour later. Yami led Yugi into the water. Yami had an arm firmly wrapped around Yugi. He was then soon deep enough that his fin no longer touched the floor. He started swimming farther down river. Yugi enjoyed the swim. He felt safe with Yami, especially in the water. He just relaxed as Yami swam on. Then Yami dove underwater. Yugi held his breath. Yami touched Yugi's mouth with his hand.  
"It's okay to say something," Yami said.  
"Why?" Yugi asked. He realized that he just spoke.  
"You just found out why," Yami responded.   
"How can I breathe underwater?" Yugi asked.  
"I just cast a spell on you that helps you to breathe underwater. It will last until we leave. I will keep using it whenever you want to go underwater," Yami responded as he swam on.  
Yugi was amazed by the underwater world. He liked it a lot. A couple of hours later, Yugi and Yami came to the outskirts of New Atlantis. Yugi was amazed. The outsides were made of pure gold and silver.  
"Is this your home?" Yugi asked.  
"Yes it is, or yes it was," Yami responded.  
One of the counselors just happened to swim by when he saw them. He felt Yami's power on the boy. Yami saw him and smiled.  
"Hi Joseph (A/N: This is not Joey), how are you?" Yami asked.  
"I'm fine my prince, and I'm glad to know that you are too," Joseph responded. "Who's your young friend?" he added.  
"This is my friend Yugi," Yami responded. "Yugi this is Joseph, one of my counselors," he added.  
"Nice to meet you," Yugi said smiling.  
"Likewise," Joseph said, also smiling.  
"What has been going on?" Yami asked.  
"Oh, it's been terrible. Your brother has gotten very ruthless. He has had many people executed. There are many rebelling against him everyday he sits on the throne. We all want you to be our king. He has gotten on everyone's nerves. It's only a matter of time before a war breaks out," Joseph responded.  
"I promised not to return. You know that I never break my promises," Yami said. "I must go before my brother sees me." He swam away with Yugi.  
As Yami was swimming away, Yugi asked, "Why are we leaving so soon?"  
"We're leaving because I don't want my brother to see you," Yami responded.  
"I forgot to ask for your brother's name," Yugi said.  
"His name is Erick," Yami said.  
Yugi looked back and saw a figure following them. "Who's that behind us?" he asked.  
Yami looked back and gasped in horror. "It's my brother," he responded. "Hold on; I'm going to try to out swim him," he added. He swam faster in hopes of losing his brother. 'I can't lead him to the island,' he thought. He swam in a different direction. He had a plan. He was the fastest swimmer in the kingdom, so he had a good lead over Erick.  
Erick was still following Yami. 'I'll kill you and your little human friend,' he thought as he followed.  
Yami led Erick into a very dark area. Yugi whimpered a little, but Yami reassured him that everything would be all right. Yami swam into a cave that only he knew the way out of. He knew that one path led to the other side while the other 22 led back to the entrance. He went down the center path. Because Erick was trailing, he didn't see that move. He didn't know which path to go down.  
Sure enough, Erick went down the path on the far right. Yami came out the other side and swam for the island. He got there in three hours because the cave was an extra hour off course. Erick eventually did come out, but at the entrance. He growled in anger because his brother outsmarted him. He swam to New Atlantis and got there in an hour.   
Yami and Yugi were back in the island and in the cave. Yami was relieved that Yugi was safe for the moment.  
"Yami, would your brother have killed me if we did stay?" Yugi asked.  
"Yes," Yami responded. "As I told you, he hates humans with a vengeance. If he had the chance to kill a human, he wouldn't hesitate," he added.  
It started to get dark. Yugi got the blanket as Yami left ahead to climb the tree. Yugi was out and put the blanket in position. Yami made it float up again and started picking fruit. He picked enough to last tonight and the next morning for both of them. When he was alone, he climbed down and lowered the blanket. He folded it in and picked it up. He and Yugi went back in the cave to eat. When they had their fill, the waited half an hour before going to sleep.  
  
  
  
  
Another chapter down. Preview for Chapter 3: The voice: Yami shows Yugi more of the island. While they are exploring, Yugi hears a female voice (It's not who you think) singing. He goes into a trance and follows the voice. The voice leads him to a huge cliff with a very deep pond at the bottom. Who does the voice belong to? Will Yami realize that Yugi isn't with him in time to save him?


	3. The Voice

Recap: Yugi and Yami told each other about their lives. Yugi found out that Yami saved him when he was 8. Both were glad to meet each other again. When they went exploring the next day, they ended up going inside a pyramid. With help from Yami, they made it out safely. Yami took Yugi swimming and showed him New Atlantis. It was a pleasant meeting and a bad goodbye because they met up with Joseph, but had to lose Yami's brother Erick.  
' is thoughts  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 3: The Voice  
  
It has been two weeks since Yugi was stranded . His grandfather was worried sick about him. Rescue crews searched tirelessly but never found Yugi. No one thought that Yugi might be on an island they believed to be deserted. Yugi was as safe as he could be. Even though he was stranded, he had a friend. Ever since he met Yami, he didn't feel so stranded anymore. Yami had shown him how to climb trees and all kinds of terrain. Yugi had a lot of trouble due to his size, but that was typical. He did fall a few times, but Yami used his magic to make Yugi float down safely.  
Yugi was a fast learner and didn't quit. That's why he was able to learn in only two days. Yami was very proud of him. Yami learned to climb things in only two days himself. Swimming was another story. No matter how hard Yugi tried, he could never achieve swimming. He didn't fret though. Yami was there to save him. They were exploring the island some more. The came across two women. The women were decked in blue.  
"Who are those women?" Yugi asked.  
"I believe they're sirens," Yami responded.  
"They don't look like police cars, ambulences or fire trucks," Yugi said.  
Yami laughed at that. "No Yugi, not those sirens. In Greek mythology, sirens were beautiful women said to have beautiful but hypnotic voices. They would lead sailors to certain doom if not death," he said.  
"Oh," Yugi said.  
The sirens turned around and saw them. "Good afternoon," they said.  
"Hello," Yugi said.  
"May we ask who you are?" Yami asked.  
"I'm Anora, and the dark-skinned one is my sister Rodema," the light-skinned siren responded.  
"And may we ask who you are?" Rodema asked.  
"I'm Yami, prince of New Atlantis, and this is my friend Yugi," Yami responded.  
"You two look just alike," Anora said.  
"I know, but I'm just an ordinary human," Yugi said. "Yami's a merman who can become human."  
"Let's go Yugi. I'll take you swimming," Yami said.  
"Okay," Yugi said happily. "Goodbye," he said to the sirens.  
"Goodbye," they said together.  
Yugi and Yami left for the river. Yami sensed something wrong with Anora. He didn't tell Yugi though. He had a hidden motive for the swim; he wanted to get Yugi away from Anora. Rodema was already aware of Yami's hidden motive. She didn't blame him. She felt sorry for all the sailors that had to die because of her sister. She pleaded to the gods to make her voice counter her sister's. She got her wish, but never let her sister know. For a hundred years she stopped her sister from killing defenseless sailors. Anora never suspected that her own sister foiled her plans.  
Meanwhile, Yami was underwater with Yugi. Yugi would never be tired of seeing the underwater life. Yami on the other hand was very worried. He couldn't shake the thought that something terrible was going to happen. Yugi noticed that Yami was worried about something.  
"What's wrong Yami?" Yugi asked.  
"I can't shake the thought that something's going to go wrong," Yami responded.  
"Come on Yami. Just try to enjoy yourself," Yugi said.   
"All right Yugi," Yami said smiling. He swam on with Yugi. His worry went to the back of his mind for now. He enjoyed the swim with Yugi.  
Meanwhile, Anora and Rodema were talking. They both had sensed Yami's power.  
"Yami has great power," Anora said.  
"Yes he does. He won't even be affected by our voices," Rodema said.  
"But the young one will. He's as normal as any other human," Anora said. She was unaware that her sister was thinking of a way to stop her.  
Meanwhile, it was getting dark. Yami returned to the cave via the river and climbed to shore with Yugi in his arms. Yugi had fallen asleep on the return trip. An hour later, Yami fell asleep as well. He would not get much sleep however.  
His dream: He looked everywhere he could think of, but he could not find Yugi. He heard a siren's voice, but it sounded like it came from all directions. Rodema came to help him, and he followed her. An hour later, he saw Yugi about to go over a huge cliff. He yelled at Yugi, but Yugi wouldn't snap out of it. It was a battle of the voices. Yami dove in the water below in case Yugi went over the cliff. Rodema won the battle, and Yugi was free of Anora's hypnotic voice. However, Anora killed Yugi by throwing a dagger straight through his heart. He fell into the water, dead. Yami brought Yugi up, but was too late to save him.  
Yami sat straight up, drenched in sweat. 'That was a terrible nightmare. I hope it never comes true,' he thought. He was too worried to go back to sleep. He watched over Yugi. 'I'll never forgive myself if Yugi got killed,' he thought.  
The next morning, Yami awakened Yugi.  
"Good morning," Yugi said.  
"Good morning, sleep well?" Yami asked.  
"Yes I did," Yugi responded. "How about you?" he added.  
"I didn't get any sleep. I had a horrible nightmare," Yami responded.  
"Care to tell me what happened?" Yugi asked.  
"It deals with Anora. I dreamed that she killed you," Yami responded.  
"I didn't wany to worry you, but I got some bad vibes for Anora as well. I have a feeling that we can trust Rodema," Yugi admitted.  
"As do I," Yami said. "You want to do some more exploring?" he added.  
"Sure," Yugi responded. He and Yami left the cave to explore some more.  
Meanwhile, Anora waited about three miles away. When Yami and Yugi passed by, she followed them. Rodema was unaware of her sister's plot. She flew over the island. Anora started singing. She had a soprano voice. Yami's mind was occupied with exploring, so he didn't hear the voice.  
However, Yugi heard it loud and clear. He stopped in his tracks. As far as the look on his face, it was a blank look. The voice, though very beautiful, hypnotized him. He turned and headed west. Yami was so occupied with exploring that he didn't notice that Yugi was gone. Rodema heard her sister singing. She automatically knew that Yugi was in critical danger. Last night, she overheard Anora saying something about sending Yugi over a cliff and into a pond that is three miles deep. Yami had just realized that Yugi was gone. He was running to try to find Yugi. Just like his dream, he heard Anora's voice. The voice sounded in every direction.  
"Yami!" he heard a voice shout. He looked up and saw Rodema in for a landing.  
"Rodema, where's Yugi?" Yami asked.  
"In big trouble," Rodema responded as she landed. "Anora's sending him to a cliff that has a pond three miles deep at the bottom."  
"Yugi can't swim. He'll drown if we don't get there in time," Yami said horrified.  
"I know where the cliff is," Rodema said.  
Fortunately, Yami was by the river. He dove in because he swam faster than he ran. "Let's go; I'll follow you," he said.  
Rodema nodded and took to the air. She flew while Yami followed by water. They were both determined to rescue Yugi.  
'You are not going to claim this innocent boy Anora. I'll stop you,' Rodema thought.  
'You won't kill Yugi Anora. You will not be victorious today,' Yami thought. "Do you know how to stop your sister?" he asked.  
"Yes I do. I felt sorry for the people who lost their lives, so I pleaded with the gods to save the lives of others. I got my plea. Instead of hypnotizing males, my voice can free them. For a century, I have been secretly foiling my sister's plans," Rodema responded.  
An hour later, they reached the location. The river stopped there so Yami got out. He dried himself off and ran with Rodema. When they came to the backside of the cliff, Rodema flew up, and Yami floated up using his levitation. They saw Yugi about to walk over the edge.  
"Yugi stop!" Yami shouted.  
It was in vain.  
"Don't waste your breath. You can't do anything," Anora said.  
"But I can," Rodema said. "I will not let you kill this innocent boy."  
"You're too late sister," Anora said as she continued singing.  
Rodema started singing. She had an alto voice. Yugi began to snap out of it. Anora was shocked and angry.  
"You were the one stopping me?" Anora demanded.  
"Yes, I wouldn't let you kill another soul," Rodema responded.  
The battle of the voices raged on. Half an hour later, Rodema won. Yugi was only five steps away from falling over.  
"You won't stop me Rodema," Anora said as she pulled out a dagger. She threw it at Yugi.  
"Oh no you don't!" Yami shouted as he ran past the sisters. He caught the dagger.  
Unfortunately, the force of the thrown dagger made him push Yugi over. Yugi was in the water in a minute. The momentum from the fall knocked him unconscious.  
"Yugi!" Yami shouted as he dropped the dagger and dove off the cliff. He swam down quickly. He spotted Yugi and swam over. He wrapped his arms around Yugi and created a geyser to lift them up.  
They rose out of the water on a geyser. The geyser gently deposited them next to the river. Yugi coughed up water and opened his eyes.  
"Are you all right?" Yami asked.  
"I am now," Yugi responded. "What happened?" he added.  
"You were under Anora's hypnotic voice. She wanted to send you over the cliff. There was a three-mile deep pond below. Rodema used her voice to free you. Anora didn't give up and threw her dagger at you. I caught it, but the force of the throw made my arm push you over the cliff. I dove after you, and grabbed you. Then I brought you here," Yami responded.  
Just then, Rodema landed.  
"Thank you Rodema. I couldn't have saved Yugi without your help," Yami said.  
"I would not have forgiven myself if I didn't help to save such a young and innocent child," Rodema said.  
Anora then came down. "I'm sorry. I didn't think through what I was doing. Killing a boy as innocent as he is would be a big sin," she said with regret.  
"It's all right. I forgive you," Yugi said.  
"As do I," Yami said. "If you should kill, do it to someone who truly deserves it."  
"That's a great suggestion. I won't stop you from doing that," Rodema said.  
"That's exactly what I'll do. Thank you," Anora said. She and Rodema flew off and away from the island.  
"Can we go home now?" Yugi asked.  
Yami chuckled at Yugi calling the cave home. "Sure," he responded. He wrapped an arm around Yugi and walked into the river. He swam back to the cave.  
They soon came to a fork in the river, and Yami went left. They were back in the cave in an hour. Yami got out of the water with Yugi.  
"I hope we never have to go through that again," Yugi said.  
"You and me both," Yami said.  
They ate fish this time. Yami had been able to catch some fish for them to eat. Yugi noted that Yami was a lot better at catching fish than himn. After they had their fill, they started exploring the cave.  
  
  
Done here. Preview for Chapter 4: The Secret of the Cave: Yami has been on the island for six years, but he never knew that the cave he and Yugi spent every night in led to a secret world. They find that out when Yugi leans against a wall at the back of the cave and falls through a secret door. Yami follows before the door closes, and they find themselves in a strange world. What will they find?


	4. The Secret of the Cave

Recap: Yugi and Yami were exploring the island some more. They came across two of the legendary sirens, Anora and Rodema. Anora lured Yugi to a cliff with a very deep pond at the bottom. Rodema helped Yami stop Anora and save Yugi.  
' is thoughts  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 4: The Secret of the Cave  
  
Yugi and Yami were currently exploring the cave. They paid more attention to the walls. The walls were full of diamonds, rubies and all kinds of gems.  
"I haven't really paid attention to these walls. This is amazing," Yugi said.  
"I agree. I was here for 6 years, but I've never really paid attention," Yami added.  
In addition to the amazing site in the cave, there were also some dangers lurking within. Unfortunately, they were going to discover them. They walked only twenty more feet when the floor started to crumble underneath them.  
"Run Yugi!" Yami shouted as he ran ahead.  
Yugi wasn't as fast as Yami and was only two steps away from falling. The ground collapsed from under Yugi a few minutes later and stopped crumbling when he was hanging over the edge of the current cliff. If that wasn't bad enough, he was slipping off.  
"Yami help!" Yugi cried.  
"Hang on Yugi; I'm coming!" Yami shouted as he was on his way back.  
Yugi's small size really didn't help him here, and he continued to slip off the edge. It was only a matter of seconds before he fell off now.  
"Hold on Yugi!" Yami shouted. He was almost there.  
"I can't!" Yugi shouted and slipped off all the way.  
Someone's hand grabbed his. He looked up to see Yami. Yugi was still very frightened.  
"It's okay Yugi. I've got you," Yami said. He quickly pulled Yugi up. "Are you all right?" he asked.  
"Yes," Yugi responded as he regained his composure.  
They continued exploring the cave. Soon they came to a wall that looked different from the others. This one was golden with silver and copper highlights. Yugi was drawn to it. He leaned against it. A door slid open, and he fell through.  
"Yugi!" Yami shouted as he ran through the opening before it closed. "Are you all right?" he added as he helped Yugi up.  
"Yes," Yugi responded. "Where are we?" he added.  
"I don't know. I never knew that this place would be in a cave," Yami responded.  
Yugi climbed up a nearby tree. 'I still thank Yami for teaching me how to climb trees,' he thought.  
"Don't climb too high," Yami said.  
"I won't," Yugi said. He stopped when he was about fifty feet up and looked around.  
"What do you see?" Yami asked loud enough for Yugi to hear.  
"A lot of jungle," Yugi responded. He moved to climb down.  
The branch he was on was a weak branch. It couldn't take that movement and broke off. Luckily, Yami was right under Yugi. He started his arms out and caught Yugi.  
"You okay?" Yami asked as he put Yugi down.  
"I am now," Yugi responded.  
"We might as well look around," Yami said.  
Yugi nodded, and they began exploring. The brush was thick so Yami created a sword to cut the plants down. Fifteen minutes later, he bent the sword like a boomerang and gave it a mighty throw. The sword cut through the rest of the thick brush and came back to him. He caught the hilt and made the sword disappear.  
"How did you do that?" Yugi asked confused and amazed.  
"To be honest, I don't know. I never knew that I was this strong to bend a sword and throw it that far," Yami responded. "I guess there are more things to me that even I don't know," he added.  
They walked through the now cleared brush. They soon came to a river. There was no way around it because it was very long and pretty wide as well. Yami wrapped an arm around Yugi and went into the water. It was peaceful enough to start. Halfway across, Yugi felt something slimy under his feet. He then got pulled down out of Yami's grip.  
Yami felt the tug and saw that Yugi was no longer with him. He dove under the water to see Yugi being held by a giant squid. Yami immediately cast the spell so Yugi could breathe underwater. "Yugi, don't try to keep up with me. I'm going to swim circles around the squid," he said.  
Yugi got the message as Yami started circling around the squid. Yami went faster and faster. The squid tired to keep up to grab Yami, but Yami was way too fast for it. As Yami kept circling, the squid got dizzier. Soon, the squid let go of Yugi because it was so dizzy. Yami grabbed Yugi and swam the rest of the way to the other side of the river.  
They got to the other side half an hour later, and Yami came out with Yugi. Yami was puzzled with something.  
"What is it Yami?" Yugi asked.  
"I noticed that I swam faster than I thought I could," Yami responded.  
"Do you think that this place has something to do with the secrets about you?" Yugi asked.  
"Probably," Yami responded.  
"So far, we found out that you are very strong, and you can swim faster than you thought," Yugi said. "Let's keep going."  
Yami nodded, and they continued walking. Yami suddenly felt like running. He scooped up Yugi and ran through the jungle. He noted that he now ran as fast as he swam.  
"How can you run so fast?" Yugi asked. He only saw a blur as they passed things.  
"I don't know," Yami responded. He stopped at a large temple an hour later. He put Yugi down, and they entered.  
The entrance disappeared soon afterwards and the torches inside lit up on their own. They could see a tablet nailed to a wall on the left side.  
"According to this tablet, we have to work together as we face three tests. The first is the test of trust," Yugi said.  
The moment he finished speaking, the room turned into a house of mirrors. Yami was transported to the exit while Yugi was at the start.  
"What happened?" Yugi asked.  
"According to the tablet in front of me, I have to guide you safely to the exit," Yami responded. "I have a small model of the maze in front of me with a peg that will move through it as you move through the maze. Listen to me very carefully because there are pitfalls in this maze. I can't help you if you fall down one, so be very careful," he added.  
"Where should I start?" Yugi asked.  
"Take three steps forward, then go down the left path," Yami responded.  
Yugi did as Yami instructed. He was going down the left path. A few minutes later, he came to a blocked path.  
"What do I do now?" Yugi asked.  
"I have to answer a question for you to move on," Yami responded.  
"What was the answer to the Out riddle?" a voice asked.  
"The arrow with the word two on it was the dangerous path. When two was spelled backwards, you got the word out with a w in place of the u," Yami responded.  
"Well done Yami," the voice said as the block disappeared.  
"Go forward Yugi," Yami said.  
Yugi went forward. He soon came to two doors. He moved to go down the left one. Yami saw a pitfall in the model of the maze behind the left door.  
"Yugi stop. Open and go through the door on the right," Yami said.  
Yugi went through the door on the right. He saw a tablet on the right wall saying that he was halfway through. He continued down the right path. A few minutes later, he ame to a door with a question mark. There was a lever next to the door. Yugi pulled it and heard a shuffling noise.  
"The room behind the door is shuffling. You will have to answer a question. If you answer correctly, you will have no more traps to worry about. If you answer incorrectly, you will have to make your way across a wide pitfall," Yami said.  
"What is a siren?" the voice asked.  
Yugi had forgotten what Yami told him about that and was trying to remember. 'Now what did Yami tell me about sirens?' Yugi thought.  
'Come on Yugi. You can do it,' Yami thought.  
Then Yugi heard a singing voice in his head. 'That's it!' he thought. "A siren is a woman who sends sailors to their doom if not death with her beautiful but hypnotic voice," he said.  
"Very good, that is correct," the voice said.  
The door opened to reveal a safe path. Yugi walked down the path and reached the exit in half an hour. Yami was there to greet him.  
"Hey Yugi. I knew you could do it," Yami said.  
"I couldn't have done it without you," Yugi said.  
They walked on through the temple. An hour later, they came to another tablet. All it had on it was the test of friendship. They were both confused, but they walked on.  
"What could the test of friendship be?" Yugi asked. He found himself in the air soon afterwards. He looked up to see that he was in the arms of a skeleton with leathery wings.  
Yami was running below. 'This is the test. I have to prove my friendship to Yugi,' he thought.  
The dryad looked down and saw that Yami kept up with it, even though it was in the air. Suddenly, a deep and wide chasm appeared in front of Yami. He had to stop. The dryad got ahead and had a good lead half an hour later.  
"I won't give up dryad! I refuse to!" Yami shouted in determination. He the felt open air around and underneath him. He looked down to see himself higher than he could ever float with his levitation. He stretched his body horizontally and moved through the air. "I can fly?" he asked.  
Meanwhile, Yugi was scared for his life. 'If only Yami could fly too,' he thought as he got taken farther away.  
Yugi knew that the dryad had a good lead over him. He suddenly sensed where Yugi and the dryad were. He vanished and reappeared in front of the dryad. The dryad screeched and stopped. Yugi was amazed to see Yami flying. The dryad turned and flew back the way it came.  
"Oh no you don't!" Yami shouted. He aimed carefully and fired a beam of fire and energy at the dryad's back.   
The beam hit its mark, and the dryad disintegrated to dust. Of course Yugi fell by that action. He fell straight into the chasm.  
"Yugi!" Yami shouted. He flew down into the chasm and caught Yugi. "Are you all right?" he asked.  
"I am now," Yugi responded. "How did you find me?" he added.  
"I don't know. It was like I could sense where you were," Yami responded.  
"Now we know that you can fly too," Yugi said.  
"Yes we do," Yami said as he flew over the chasm. He landed on solid ground half an hour later. He put Yugi down.  
A third tablet was waiting for them. It read, "You have passed the tests of trust and friendship. This last test is the hardest of the three. You must pass this one, or you will be stuck here for all eternity. The final test is the test of courage."  
The room darkened, and Yugi whimpered.  
"Don't be afraid Yugi. I'm right here. It's not that dark," Yami said.  
The walked through the room. They heard creepy laughs all around them. Yugi continued to be strong for Yami. Yami wasn't scared one bit. Then, a ferocious beast confronted them and roared. Its roar would make just about anyone run for cover. Yugi was very scared. The beast started to grow. For fifteen minutes, the beast kept growing. Yami noticed something. The beast looked its normal size to him.  
"Yugi be brave. That thing is feeding off your fear. That's why it's getting larger. It will disappear if you show it that you're not afraid. That thing is its normal size to me," Yami said.  
Yugi nodded and showed the beast that it couldn't scare him anymore. Everything the beast tried didn't make Yugi scared. It tried to scare Yami, but Yami just glared at it. The beast disappeared.  
"I knew you could do it," Yami said.  
"I would've caused us to fail if if wasn't for you," Yugi said. Suddenly, he felt invisible hands choking him. A few moments later, he collapsed from lack of breath.  
Yami checked for a pulse. Yugi's pulse was very faint and getting even slower.  
"Yugi, please breathe," Yami said.   
One of his two greatest fears was taking place. Yugi was dying. Yami was frantic. He was very scared that he might lose Yugi. He started CPR. There was nothing after 5 tries. Yugi still wasn't breathing.  
"Come on Yugi," Yami said frantically. 'I've got to be brave or Yugi won't make it,' he thought. He pressed down on Yugi's chest again. "I know you're alive Yugi," Yami said with calmness, "one more time." He breathed into Yugi.  
Yugi took a harsh breath and started coughing. Yami shed tears of joy and pulled Yugi into a warm embrace.  
"I felt like I was not going to live," Yugi was.  
"But you are alive. That is what matters," Yami said.  
"Thank you for not giving up on me," Yugi said.  
Yami pulled back and said, "I wouldn't be a friend to you if I gave up. That's what having to pass this test was about. If I gave up on you, I would've lied about my friendship to and my trust in you. In other words, this test was a redo of the other two tests to. Failing this test would've been saying that we really weren't friends and didn't really trust one another," Yami said.  
The voice said. "Well done. You have passed my tests." The source of the voice appeared in front of them.  
"Who are you?" Yugi asked.  
"That is Zeus, king of the gods," Yami responded.  
"Now I will tell you something that I told your parents to keep secret from you. I am your real father Yami," Zeus said.  
"You mean I'm a god?" Yami asked.  
"A demigod to be more precise. You were born from a regular mermaid, but you've always had my blood flowing through you," Zeus responded.  
"So this secret place was to help reveal the secrets about me?" Yami asked.  
"Yes my son," Zeus responded. "I will be watching you," he added.  
Yugi and Yami found themselves back in the cave. The cave looked as ordinary as any other cave. The walls were only stone now. Yugi fell asleep as soon as he lay on the ground. Yami wasn't sleepy at all, even with all the stuff he did today. He watched over Yugi.  
  
  
  
Whoa! That was a real secret wasn't it? Preview for Chapter 5: The First Confrontation: It had to happen sometime. This is one of the two confrontations Yami will have with his brother. Erick is swimming along when he sees an island. He surfaces and see Yugi with Yami. There is going to be a battle between the brothers. Will Yugi be safe?  



	5. The First Confrontation

Recap: Yugi and Yami were exploring the cave. They found all kinds of precious gems, as well as a danger. Yami saved Yugi before Yugi went off a cliff. When they came to the back of the cave, they found themselves in a secret world. The secret world helped Yami to discover things about himself that he didn't know. The biggest secret is that he is a son of Zeus.  
' is thoughts  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 5: The First Confrontation  
  
It was a rainy night on the island. It didn't rain too heavy, just steady. A cool breeze blew into the cave. Yugi shivered from the breeze. Yami dried off the blanket he had been using to gather fruit. The blanket was dirty of he washed it. He put the now clean blanket over Yugi. The next morning was a lot better. The sun shone bright, and a warm breeze blew in. Yami removed the cover on Yugi. He only wanted to gently shake Yugi awake. He ended up pushing Yugi clean through the wall instead. Yugi found himself outside the cave and with a big headache.  
"Ow my head," Yugi said as he rubbed his head.  
"Yugi, are you all right?" Yami asked as he ran out the new door.  
"Yes, I'm all right," Yugi responded.  
"Oh Yugi, I'm so sorry. I only wanted to wake you, not push you through the wall," Yami said.  
"It's all right Yami. Next time, be careful of your own strength," Yugi said.  
"I'll try," Yami said.  
"Having some trouble my son?" Zeus asked as he appeared.  
"Yes I am. I only wanted to gently shake Yugi awake. Instead, I pushed him right through the wall," Yami responded. "I didn't mean to."  
"I know Yami. Would you like to train so you can control your abilities?" Zeus said.  
"I would like that father," Yami said.  
"So be it," Zeus said as he disappeared.  
The island shifted as a field immerged from the bottom of it. Yami carefully scooped up Yugi and flew into the air until the ground stopped shifting. The shifting stopped a few moments later to reveal an obstacle course. Yami landed and set Yugi on his feet.  
"Wow. You could become faster and stronger in this place," Yugi said with amazement.  
"It will be the perfect place for me," Yami said as he walked over to the huge stone slabs.  
There were also some things that didn't require a lot of strength to lift, for him anyway. Yami walked over to one of the slabs and easily lifted it with only one hand. Then he threw it at a target. The target was fifty feet away, and the stone completely smashed it.  
"Good aim," Yugi said.  
"Thanks," Yami said.  
The obstacle course was very large. It was broken into 8 stations. The stations themselves were large. There were strength training, archery, sword fighting, balance training, speed training for land, air and water, martial arts training, magical training (A/N: Now that Yami has new abilities, he must learn to control his powers and his abilities separately) and endurance training stations. These were no easy tasks. Yami trained hard in each station and finished in two years. He could've finished in only one year, but he wanted to make sure that he had his abilities in full control.  
Afterwards, the obstacle course disappeared.  
"So Yugi, what do you want to do now?" Yami asked.  
"Get a bird's eye view of the island," Yugi responded.  
"All right," Yami said smiling. He picked up Yugi and flew off.  
They were silent as the air tour continued. Yugi loved looking at the island from the air.  
"A fine day for flying," a feminine voice said beside them.  
Yami and Yugi looked beside them to see a woman wearing pink flying beside them.  
"It's been a long 22 years, but now you finally know," she said.  
"Yes my sister," Yami said.   
"Who is she?" Yugi asked.  
"Yugi, this is Aphrodite. She's the goddess of love and beauty," Yami responded.  
"You are very beautiful Aphrodite," Yugi said.  
"You're pretty cute yourself Yugi," Aphrodite said.  
They continued flying around the island. Two hours later, they landed. Yami set Yugi down, and Aphrodite disappeared.  
"Your sister seems very nice," Yugi said.  
"She is," Yami said. He suddenly grew tense.  
"What's wrong?" Yugi asked.  
"There is something very unfriendly nearby," Yami responded.  
Just then, a hydra came out from behind the trees. It looked like a giant mutated snake. It slithered towards them and coiled its long body around them. It lunged for Yugi, but Yami smacked its head back. Yami created a sword and stood in a battle position. The hydra lunged for Yugi again, but Yami sliced the head off. The head disintegrated on the ground, and the body fell limp. Yami picked up Yugi and jumped over the body. He put Yugi down, and they started to walk away. A few minutes later, they heard a rumbling sound. They looked towards the hydra. Its body coiled around a little as it sprouted two heads.  
"How can that be possible?" Yugi asked horrified.  
"I forgot about that. Every time you cut off a hydra's head, two more grow back," Yami responded.  
"What should we do now?" Yugi asked.  
"Be careful," Yami responded simply.  
The two-headed hydra slithered toward them. Yami noticed something as the hydra inched closer. There was a small patch of dented skin on its belly. He didn't see that before it had its head cut off.  
'It must have bruised a muscle when it hit the ground. If only I could get my sword into that spot,' Yami thought. He looked up at the heads.  
Both lunged from them.  
"Yugi, look out!" Yami shouted as he tackled Yugi.  
The heads went over them and came back to ther first position. Yami stood up and helped Yugi up. He then scooped Yugi up and flew to a tree taller than the hydra. He put Yugi in the tree.  
"Stay here until I return. Hopefully, I won't be long," Yami said as he grabbed his sword and flew back towards the hydra.  
The hydra reared up in attack. That was a mistake because it also revealed the dented skin. Yami went under the two heads and thrust his sword into the dented skin. A few seconds later, he took out his sword and flew above the hydra. The hydra fell to the ground and dissolved.  
"Now to get back to Yugi," Yami said. He cleaned off his sword and flew back to the tree. When he got there, Yugi was gone. He also saw that there were less leaves on the branch, suggesting a struggle. He saw a feather as well as claw marks on the branch.  
He sniffed the feather. The feather had two scents. One was the scent of a bird. The other was the scent of a ferocious four-legged animal. In New Atlantis, he had a class in land, air and sea animal scents, which he passed hands down. He slowly sniffed the feather to know exactly what the scents were.  
'By my senses, this feather smells like an eagle and a lion. The only thing I know that is both an eagle and a lion is a griffin,' he thought. He sensed the area and soon found the griffin and Yugi. He shot off like a bullet.  
Meanwhile, the griffin was already off the island with Yugi. It took him to its nest where its children waited. It landed with him in the nest. The children looked and were very hungry. Yugi had nowhere to go because eh was surrounded by the children and the mother.  
"Yugi!" a voice shouted.  
Yugi looked ahead and saw Yami. He stretched out his arms. Yami flew by, scooping up Yugi. Yami flew back for the island. The griffin screeched as she followed them. Yami turned and flew straight for the griffin. He fired an energy beam from his mouth. The griffin turned and headed back for its nest.   
"Are you all right?" Yami asked as he flew for the island.  
"Thanks to you," Yugi responded.  
Yami arrived at the island. in an hour and a half. He landed and set Yugi down. Meanwhile, Erick was out a swim. He was pretty powerful now, but still nowhere near as powerful as Yami. Erick had forced the counselors to teach him how to be a mage. He threatened to kill them if they didn't.  
An hour later, he saw the bottom of the island. He surfaced to investigate. He swam around the perimeter of the island. Half an hour later, he saw Yugi behind a tree. He then saw Yami apparently looking for Yugi. Yugi ran from behind the tree as Yami chased him. They were laughing the whole way. Yami tackled Yugi, and they rolled five times. Yugi ended up on top of Yami.  
Yami smiled and held Yugi close. Seeing them happy made Erick more determined to kill them. He came onshore. He became human in moments. He still hated humans, but the only way to fight Yami is if he could become human too. He was wearing a black T-shirt, and blue jeans were in the place of the blue fish tail. Yami got tense again.  
"What is it?" Yugi asked.  
"It's Erick. He's here," Yami responded as he slowly stood up and put Yugi on the ground.  
Erick was soon in front of them. They saw that he was human as well.  
"I thought you hated humans," Yami said.  
"I do, but this is the only way to fight you since you can live on land and in water," Erick said. He hurled a fireball in their direction.  
Yami deflected it with his hand. "You'll have to do better than that," he said.  
"Oh I can," Erick said. He raised hsi hand quickly.  
Yugi felt himself being lifted up quickly. "Yami!" he screamed.  
"Yugi!" Yami cried.  
"What are you going to do now?" Erick asked.  
"This," Yami responded as he lifted off the ground. He flew higher and higher. He soon reached Yugi.  
Erick was shocked, but regained his composure. He took off the spell, and Yugi dropped. Yami flew down and caught him. Yami landed and put Yugi down. Erick created a sword and lunged for Yami. Yami created a sword and blocked just time. The two engaged in a sword fight. The fight lasted only half an hour because Yami was more experienced. He ended it by knocking the sword out of Erick' hands and destroying it with a stream of fire from his hands.  
Yami was holding back a lot. But he was still good despite that fact. He held the sword inches from Erick's neck. "Now you leave. Don't threaten Yugi again or you and I don't know what I'll do to you," Yami said in a menacing voice.  
"We'll meet again," Erick said. He walked to the water and dove in.  
"Will he be back?" Yugi asked.  
"Most likely," Yami responded. "Let's head back to the cave," he added.  
They walked to the cave. Yami dove into the river and threw up fish. After throwing up 12 fish, he surfaced and came onshore. He became human and wen to pick some fruit. After a few minutes, he came back in the cave with the fruit. Half an hour later, they slept.  
Erick was back on the island. He walked around. He came to a cave a few hours later. He went inside and found Yugi and Yami sleeping. He smirked and walked over to them. He quietly picked up Yugi and left. A note appeared next to Yami. The next morning, Yami was the first to awaken. He stretched and turned to awaken Yugi. He found a note in Yugi's place. He read it and was shocked an very angry.  
"Erick," he said angrily.  
  
  
Cliffie. Sorry if this battle seemed short, but his was in anticipation of the bigger battle. Preview for Chapter 6: Battle of the Brothers: Erick stole Yugi away while he and Yami were asleep. Now Yami has to fight to get Yugi back. I hope you're still reading because this is the second confrontation and the big battle.


	6. Battle of the Brothers

Recap: Yami pushed Yugi through the cave. He only wanted to gently shake him. Zeus created a training field for Yami. Yami spent two years training. He and Yugi met Aphrodite, one of Yami's sisters. If trouble with a hydra and a griffin wasn't bad enough, Erick's arrival on the island was. Yami drove him off, but he came back at night and took Yugi away.  
' is thoughts  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 6: Battle of the Brothers  
  
"Erick," Yami said angrily. He crushed the note to dust with his hands.  
Then Zeus, Hera, Ares, Aphrodite, Athena, Artemis, Hades, Poseidon, Dionysus and Nemesis appeared in the cave. They saw what happened; they also sensed Yami's anger. Yami was glad to see them.  
"I'm glad to see you all," Yami said.  
"We saw what happened my son," Hera said.  
"I don't know what to do. I have to save Yugi," Yami said.  
"Well the only way is to fight," Ares said. "We want to help you in whatever way we can. Rest assured, we will get Yugi back safe."  
"Erick doesn't know what about my relationship to you or most of my abilities," Yami said.  
"That will come in real handy," Artemis said. "We can surprise him with that."  
Yami nodded, and they devised a plan. Yami was to do what the note said, but hold back most of his strength and power. The note said that the only way to save Yugi was if Yami fought Erick man to man with no holding back strength or power. Yami would hold back enough strength and power so there would appear to be a stalemate between them. After a while, the gods and goddesses would appear next to Yami and tell Yami's true heritage and give Erick a choice of repentance or eternity in Tartarus.  
Yami dove into the river and swam out for the location of the note. Zeus and the others disappeared, waiting to perform their part of the plan. He arrived at the location in an hour. The location was where the pyramid once stood. The river created a back way into the place. Yami got out and walked to Erick a few seconds later.  
"So you're here," Erick said.  
"Let's get this over with," Yami said.  
"My point exactly," Erick said as he lunged for Yami with his sword. He had practiced before Yami arrived.  
Yami drew his own sword and blocked. The sword fight raged on. Erick had gotten better, but Yami fought on to follow the plan. They ended up knocking each others swords away two hours later. The swords disappeared. Yami was still far more experienced and could've easily ended the fight.  
Then Erick made a bridge appear. This bridge only ahd the beams; there was no middle. Yami flew up on it. Erick vanished and reappeared on it.  
"This is all about balance. We will fight on this bridge. The fight is far from over though so don't think that the loser is the one who falls," Erick said as he approached Yami with a long-wooden pole in his hands.  
Yami also created a pole and prepared to battle. Erick started with a high blow for Yami's head. Yami easily blocked. They went on for an hour blocking each other's moves. They both had good balance on the bridge beams. Then Erick ducked under Yami's blow and tried to trip Yami. Yami back flipped over the pole and landed on the beams in perfect balance.  
"I don't know about you, but I don't always have to fight with a pole," Yami said as his pole vanished.  
"Suit yourself," Erick said as he swung his pole at Yami's midsection.  
Yami blocked with ease. Even though he held back most of his strength, it was going to take more than a pole to hurt him. He grabbed the pole and pulled it out of Erick's hands. Erick got caught off guard by that and fell off the bridge beams. He disappeared to reappear safely on the ground.  
Erick was getting desperate now. He knew that Yami would win the battle unless he thought of something. 'I have to think of something. Yami will win if I don't,' he thought. Then an idea struck him. He grabbed Yugi and disappeared.  
"Erick, bring him back!" Yami shouted angrily.  
Then Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite and Ares appeared. They sensed Yami's anger and frustration.  
"Calm down son. You won't get Yugi back with a mind clouded with anger," Hera said.  
"You're right mother. I'm sorry," Yami said ashe he calmed down. "Where could Erick have taken Yugi?" he asked.  
"He's taken Yugi to an underwater cave. Yugi is trapped inside for two reasons. One is that he can't swim. The other reason is that a serpent is guarding the area. Erick wants to have an underwater battle with you to decide Yugi's fate," Ares responded.  
"Knowing him, I won't win either way. If I lose, Yugi dies. If I win, Yugi dies," Yami said.  
"Not if we can help it. We'll make sure he keeps his end of the deal," Zeus said as he and others disappeared.   
They all reappeared in the water where Erick waited. Erick was stupefied to say the least. He never expected to see Zeus or the other gods. Seeing Yami with them stupefied him even more.  
"We're here to make sure that this is a fair fight with fair results for you and my brother Yami. Cheating with result in an automatic lose," Aphrodite said.  
"You and Yami will have a final battle. If you win, you decide Yugi's fate. If Yami wins, Yugi goes free," Hera added.  
Erick was shocked to hear that Yami was half god. He nodded in making the deal and prepared to battle with Yami. He had a few surprises in store for Yami. As Yami swam closer, Erick put an energy ring around him. The ring grew into a force field and started closing in. Yami simply teleported out of the force field and some of his own energy at Erick.  
Erick swam out of hte way and charged for Yami. Yami met the charge by taking hold of Erick's arms. They were holding onto each other; Erick was trying to win the battle for strength. Since they were underwater, trying to kick each other was out. Yami added a little more strength to throw Erick ten feet away.  
"You are a powerful foe. It will be a pleasure killing you. No one will dare to stand against me after you're dead," Erick said.  
"No one will die by your hand. You have needlessly killed innocent people. That changes today," Yami said.  
Erick swam circles around Yami. Yami simply closed his eyes. Erick came closer as he still swam around Yami. He created a red energy sword and closed in for the kill. Yami spun around around. He gained speed each second. He created a whirlpool. Erick stopped swimming in circles because Yami's whirlpool blew him back. Yami stopped spinning and drew a yellow energy sword.  
They clashed swords. The power from both swords caused an explosion. They were blown back a little Erick swam for Yami. Yami moved to block the sword but Erick ducked under and slashed Yami's side.  
"Uhn," Yami grunted in pain as he held his side. He quickly healed himself and prepared for Erick's next strike.  
Erick came at a little of a blur toward Yami. Yami cleared his mind and focused on where Erick would strike. A sword came for Yami's head. Yami blocked the sword just in time. The energy sword fight went on for an hour before Yami knocked the sword out of Erick's hands.  
Erick started to suspect something now. 'I know that Yami is not giving his all in this battle. After hearing that he's half god, he's got to be holding back,' he thought. "I know you're holding back Yami. I'll make you give everything you got," he said. He swam to the cave entrance and told the serpent to kill Yugi anyway.  
Yami arrived just as the serpent went into the cave. He was horrified when he heard Yugi's scream. That horror quickly changed to anger. He swam into the cave and saw the serpent surface, ready to swallow Yugi whole. The serpent lunged for Yugi but was pulled back.  
"Yugi, are you all right?" Yami asked.  
"For the moment," Yugi responded. He saw that Yami had the serpent by its tail.  
Yami dove underwater with the serpent. He swung it around ten times before throwing it far away. It was out of sight in a minute and was still going. Yami glared at Erick. Incredibly, Erick was unfazed by Yami's display of awesome strength as well as his glare.  
"I might not be able to beat you with strength, but I can outsmart you," Erick said.  
"You will do no such thing. You broke your end of the deal," Zeus said.  
Completely ignoring Zeus (A/N: What a big mistake huh?), Erick swam into the cave, grabbed Yugi and teleported back to the island. Erick reappeared at the mouth of a dormant volcano. This was the volcano where sacrifices used to be made. Erick had no sacrificial thoughts in mind.  
"Now to get rid of you once and for all," Erick said as he prepared to drop Yugi into the volcano.  
"Hold it right there!" a deep voice yelled from above.  
Erick looked up to see Yami coming down for a landing. "You can't stop me Yami," he said. "One step toward me, and your friend is doomed."  
Then Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, Ares, Apollo, Athena, Artemis, Poseidon, Hades, Dionysus and Nemesis appeared as well.  
"You have not only broken your part of the deal but you have also ignored the king of the gods!" Zeus shouted angrily.  
Nemesis and Apollo seized Erick. Unfortunately, Erick dropped Yugi in the confusion.   
"Yugi!" Yami cried. He flew down after Yugi and caught him a few minutes later.  
Erick had one more surprise. He disappeared from out of Nemesis and Apollo's strong grip. He reappeared in the air as a winged Minotaur. "This is my greatest achievement. Now my strength and power has increased," he said. He flew for Yami. Yami got out of his path and flew to Aphrodite.  
"Keep Yugi safe my sister," Yami said as he deposited Yugi into her arms.  
"Don't worry; I will," Aphrodite said.  
Yami flew toward Erick and punched him in the face. Erick went flying backwards into a tree. He flew at Yami while powering up for a fire attack. When he was within one foot, he fired the attack at Yami. Yami blasted it with an energy ball. The power of the two attacks caused a gigantic explosion. The explosion let off a huge cloud of smoke. Erick tried to use the smoke to his advantage by sneak attacking Yami. Erick drew his sword and went for Yami's heart. Yami saw him coming and flew out of the way.  
"How did you know where I was?" Erick asked.  
"I sensed your approach and saw your shadow through the smoke," Yami responded.  
Erick was mad and angrily charged for Yami. Yami simply went up. Erick headed right for a spike-like tree branch. Yami moved to grab him, but Apollo stopped him.  
"What are you doing?" Yami asked.  
"We know that Erick wouldn't have changed his ways even if we did threaten him about it. He's too stubborn, ruthless and cold-hearted to do so. He has needlessly killed so many innocent people. On top of that, he ignored our father and tried to kill Yugi before the battle was over. He deserves his fate," Apollo responded.  
Yami nodded and watched Erick go right into the branch. Erick was halfway through the branch and died instantly.  
"He'll go to Tartarus for what he has done. He deserves an eternal life of misery," Hades said as Nemesis agreed.  
"Can you introduce me to the others Yami?" Yugi asked.  
"Sure Yugi," Yami responded as he and the others landed.  
Aphrodite gently set Yugi on his feet.  
"Yugi, I'd like you to meet Hera, queen of the gods and my mother. I'd also like you to meet my brothers Ares, god of war, Apollo, god of the sun, Poseidon, god of the water, Dionysus, god of wine, Hades, god of the Underworld, and Nemesis, god of vengeance. You've met my sister Aphrodite; meet Athena, goddess of wisdom, and Artemis, goddess of the hunt," Yami said.  
"It's nice to meet you all," Yugi said.  
"Likewise," the gods and goddesses said.  
"Will you return to your kingdom Yami?" Athena asked.  
"No Athena. Even though I'm a prince and a demigod, I want to live like a normal person. I'll visit, but I won't live there again. Living on this island for 8 years has taught me what a normal person does to survive. Besides, I want to stay with Yugi," Yami said.  
Yugi had tears in his eyes.  
"What's wrong Yugi?" Yami asked.  
"Nothing is wrong. I'm just very happy that you want to be with me," Yugi responded.  
Zeus and the other gods and goddesses disappeared. Artemis arrived in New Atlantis. The people bowed to her.  
"What news do you bring Great Artemis?" Joseph asked.  
"Erick is dead," Artemis responded.  
"Will Prince Yami return?" Joseph asked.  
"No he will not. He decided to stay with Yugi. He will visit though. You can rule without him. Set up a democracy. That way, the people can have freedom to do as they choose. You will still have laws of course," Artemis responded.  
"Yami will always be our prince. We will do as you say," Joseph said.  
"I'm sure Yami will be proud of all of you," Artemis said as she disappeared. She reappeared in front of Yami and said, "Your people will rule in a democratic manner.  
"That's great. The ordinary merfolk will have just about as much say as the royal officials," Yami said.  
Artemis disappeared. It started to get dark. Yami went to the river and caught some fish. He came back with the fish and teleported Yugi, the fish and himself to the cave. He and Yugi ate the fish. A few hours later, they slept in the cave for the last time. For on tomorrow, they would find Yugi's home.  
  
  
  
  
  
One more chapter to go. Preview for Chapter 7: Returning Home: Yami and Yugi leave the island to search for Yugi's home. Yugi wants to swim home so Yami swims the ocean with an arm firmly around Yugi. It's going to be a very joyful reunion so you don't want to miss it. If you want a sequel to this story, just tell me. The sequel will be titled A New World. This title goes in respect that Yami will learn about life in the Philippines.


	7. Returning Home

Recap: Erick stole Yugi in the night. Frustrated, Yami crushed the note in his bare hands. A heated battle for Yugi's fate took place. The first round was a stalemate, and the second round went to Yami. To make sure the battle would be fair, the gods judged it. Erick broke his deal by trying to kill Yugi before the battle was over. He ended up killing himself by going through a tree branch.  
' is thoughts  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 7: Returning home  
  
Things were very peaceful tonight. Erick, the most ruthless of New Atlantis, was dead. The merfolk began their democracy. They found out that they were very good at it. They would always look forward to a visit from their prince and his new friend. Yami and Yugi were both at ease tonight. Yami didn't have to worry about anything bad happening now that Erick was dead. He knew that Erick indeed deserved his fate. Yami also knew that Hades would make sure that Erick spent eternal life in misery.  
Yugi was happy for two reasons. The first reason was that he had made a life-long friend, and the other reason was that he would finally be going to his real home. His real home was with his grandfather. He couldn't wait to be back with his grandfather again. Meanwhile, Solomon had lost all hope of finding his grandson. After a year, the rescue crews discontinued the search. However, it was still the top priority of the news stations. The reporters were determined to find Yugi and not for bragging rights whatsoever. They had a feeling that Yugi was still alive and doing very well.  
The next morning, Yami awakened Yugi. "Sleep well?" he asked.  
"Very well," Yugi responded.  
"Are you ready to go?" Yami asked.  
"I sure am. I'm ready to see my grandpa," Yugi responded.  
Yami climbed the tree to pick fruit for the last time on the island. He and Yugi ate the fruit and sat down for a little while. After half an hour went by, Yami carried Yugi to the ocean. The waters were very calm, indication perfect swimming conditions.  
"So how do you want to travel?" Yami asked.  
"I want to travel by water," Yugi responded.  
"All right," Yami said smiling. He put Yugi down and held Yugi's hand. He cast the spell so Yugi could breathe underwater.  
They walked into the water holding hands. When they were deep enough, Yami started swimming. They had a long swim ahead of them. They weren't too deep in the water so the sun lit their path. Yugi was amazed. The lit up ocean looked like starlight.  
"Enjoying this are we?" Yami asked smiling.  
"I sure am," Yugi responded smiling.  
Yami swam on as the day wore on. Then the water started to get choppy. Yugi's grip was slipping more as they swam further into the choppy water. Yugi didn't feel his grip slipping because of the water. A few moments later, Yugi slipped completely from Yami's grip. Yugi gasped in shock and fear.  
"Yugi!" Yami cried. He followed Yugi through the water's strong current.  
The current had no affect on him. He thanked his training on the island for that. He had to swim through rough waters in the strength training area. They soon saw what made the water so rough. A whirlpool was up ahead. Yugi got pulled into it and was soon out of sight. Yami swam straight into the whirlpool to get Yugi out. Both of them were unaware that the whirlpool was moving.  
"Where are you Yugi?" Yami asked loud enough for Yugi to hear.  
Yugi tried to respond, but the whirlpool's pressure was very strong, against his body. He couldn't speak due to the force of the whirlpool.  
"Yugi!" Yami shouted Yugi shouted. He looked up and just made out something swirling around. 'That must be Yugi,' he thought as he swam upwards to get Yugi out of the whirlpool.  
Just as quickly as the whirlpool formed, it dissipated. The force had knocked Yugi unconscious, and he sank into Yami's arms. Yami looked around and saw that they had been pushed all the way back to the island. He shrugged and swam off, making sure that he had a secure grip of Yugi. A few hours later, Yugi regained consciousness. He found himself being carried through the water. He then saw that he was in Yami's arms. Yami never took his eyes off Yugi.  
"Are you all right?" Yami asked.  
"Yes," Yugi responded.  
"That whirlpool pushed us back to the island. We're coming to the area now. Fortunately, we will be out of whirpool territory soon," Yami said.  
An hour later, they were out of the whirlpool area. Yami unwrapped his arm from under Yugi's knees and made sure he had a firm grip around Yugi's midsection.  
"How long do you think it will be now?" Yugi asked.  
"I'm not sure. I never see your new home before," Yami responded.  
A light green trail illuminated the water.  
"Follow this trail my son and you willl reach your destination," a female voice said.  
"Thank you mother," Yami said. He went down the illuminated path.  
Meanwhile, Solomon had gone fishing with his crew. The fishermen prayed that Yugi was safe wherever he was. Seeing their friends so depressed ate them alive. They would ofen see reporters out continuing their search for Yugi.  
"Have you found my grandson?" Solomon asked.  
"Not yet, but we won't give up until we do. We have a feeling that Yugi is alive and doing all right," one of the reporters responded. "That's why we're all working together."  
Seven hours went by, and it was dark. Yami set down on the ocean floor. He and Yugi slept for the night. Athena came down to watch over them as they slept. It was a peaceful night on the ocean floor. The next morning, Athenat awakened them.  
"Thanks for watching over us Athena," Yugi said.  
"No problem, safe journey," Athena said.  
"Thank you my sister," Yami said before Athena disappeared. "We might as well continue on," he added. He wrapped an arm around Yugi and swam on.  
"I'm hungry," Yugi said.  
"As am I," Yami confirmed before swimming to the surface. He flew up a little above the water and created a platform for them to sit on. He then used his powers to bring some fish out of the water.  
The fish soon died, and he used some heat energy to cook them. Then he and Yugi ate them. After finishing their meal, they waited half an hour before moving on. They got closer to the end of their journey. A few hours later, they saw a boat up ahead.  
"It's a boat. Let's surface to get a better look at it," Yugi said.  
Yami nodded and surfaced. They were thirty feet away. The bright white color made the boat easily visible from that range.  
"I can't believe it," Yugi said in shock.  
"What is it?" Yami asked. He wondered what Yugi was so shocked about.  
"That's my grandpa's fishing boat!" Yugi responded happily.  
Yami smiled and slowly headed for the boat. One of the fisherman was looking looking over the ocean when he saw two figure heading for the boat. He looked on as the figures got closer to the boat.  
"What is it?" Solomon asked.  
"Two figures are slowly approaching us," the fisherman responded.  
Solomon watched as the figures got closer. They looked almost identical. He couldn't tell them apart until one of them spoke.  
"Grandpa, it's me!" Yugi shouted.  
"I don't believe it. One of them is my grandson," Solomon said as the two figures were now at the side of the boat.  
Yami created the water geyser to put them on the boat. He let go of Yugi, and Yugi ran into his grandfather's open arms.  
"I missed you so much grandpa," Yugi said as he hugged his grandfather tightly.  
"I thought you were dead. It's a miracle to see that you're alive and well," Solomon said, hugging Yugi tight as well.  
"The other one has a tail," a reporter said.  
Solomon and the fishermen looked just in time to see Yami's tail turn into legs. Yami stood up and smiled at Solomon.  
"We meet again," Yami said.  
"You were the one from eight years ago," Solomon said in amazement.  
"Yes Solomon, I was," Yami said.  
"How do you know my name?" Solomon asked.  
"Yugi told me about you when I found him on the almost deserted island," Yami said before telling the story.  
Solomon, the fishermen and the reporters were amazed by the story. Yugi separated from his grandfather and walked next to Yami.  
"I wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for Yami. He saved me quite a few times on that island and cared for me," Yugi said.  
"I'm very grateful to you Yami. You can stay with Yugi and me if you want," Solomon said.  
"I would love to. I can even show you my kingdom some time," Yami said.  
"You're a king?" the reporter asked.  
"A merman prince to be more precise. I was prince of New Atlantis under the sea. My ruthless brother became king when our father died because he was the first born. He banished me, and I lived on the island for eight years. My brother killed himself during the battle with him. He attempted to charge me when I got out of the way. He went speeding into a tree branch where he soon died. He killed many of New Atlantis' citizens for no good reason and deserved his fate," Yami responded.  
"Yami has great strength and power," Yugi added.  
"Well, I've got to get back to the TV station," the reporter said.   
The news helicopter landed for the reporter to get in. Then the helicopter flew off for the station. The fishermen headed back for the dock and arrived in half an hour. Then they went into the warehouse.  
"You can go home if you want Yugi. You have a set of house keys," Solomon said.  
Yami scooped up Yugi and flew into the air. Solomon, and the fishermen watched in amazement. Yugi showed Yami the way. They arrived in only ten minutes since they flew. It usually took Yugi and Solomon an hour to get back from the warehouse. Yugi opened the door, and they entered. Then Yugi locked the door.  
"I don't know too much about human cultures," Yami said.  
"I can show you how things go on here," Yugi said.  
"That would be great," Yami said.  
  
  
  
Sorry, but I have to end it here. I don't want to get into the sequel early. As I told you in chapter 6, the sequel is A New World. Should I write it or should I not?  
  
P.S. Oh and I'm thinking about making a sequel to Living with a Vampires as well. Humans can be more dangerours than vampires. Corrupted scientists will always try to capture and study one. In this sequel, Yami, Bakura, Kaiba and Pegasus will have to do all they can to protect Yugi and Ryou from the study hungry scientists.


End file.
